


Of memories and promises

by GreenSerpent



Series: Eremin Week (Oct 19 - Oct 25) [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, M/M, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-21 18:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2477702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenSerpent/pseuds/GreenSerpent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had a strong bond as children, a bond they thought as unbreakable, but fate made them follow different paths despite their will. Ten years after, what will happen when Eren and Armin meet again? (Eremin week - days 1 - Childhood and 6 - First Time)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When we could dream

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a story for Eremin Week, which I'm very excited about! Each chapter is from one of the prompts, Day 1 and Day 6. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did enjoy writing it :D And if you want a song for this one, listen to Star Star Star by SNSD ;)

              The sun came through the windows, making it a little hard to see the titles of the countless books in the shelves where the light hit, but that wasn’t a problem, the children already had the ones they needed scattered on the floor. It was a hot summer day. Usually, kids would go outside to play, but for Eren and Armin, the library was a better place to be, a place in which they built their own little world and where they went to know about the lands far away.

          

              "Eren, do you think we can go to this place someday?"

 

              Armin pointed at a picture of a beautiful forest, with giant trees shining in a beautiful green shade. He didn’t know where it was located, neither did Eren, but it didn’t matter. They were both bewildered by those colorful pictures and, each time they turned a page, they made a new plan. By then, they had planned to go to forests, to islands, shores, deserts, caves and even the poles.

 

              “We’ll go!” To Eren, that was the only answer possible. Of course they would go.

              “Do you think our parents will let us?”

 

              Armin was looking down, at the book. Eren thought for a while. That could be a problem, but there was a way. Maybe they would have to wait until they were a little older, after all, seven year-olds were way too young to travel alone, but he was almost sure it could happen when they were ten, then they would be old enough.

 

              “If they don’t, we’ll run away.”

              “But that’s wrong!” Armin practically shouted in horror. How could they be running away? That was wrong. And dangerous.

              “Didn’t you want to collect shells on that big beach?”

              Armin sighed, tempted to give up. “I do.” Eren sure knew how to touch his weak spots.

              “So we’ll go. I’ll be there to protect you.”

              Armin considered it for a while and finally gave up, even if he was still unsure. Eren said he’d protect him, so it would be alright. “Okay.”

 

              Armin smiled. Eren could tell he was a little hesitant, unconvinced that they could actually run away. Eren grabbed his hand and grinned, trying to make him sure that it would be alright. Armin smiled back, this time it was a sincere one and Eren thought he was brighter than the sun outside with his fair skin and golden hair; he was beautiful. Yes, they would always be together.

              Those promises, they would come to know in the future, they were too unlikely to come true. Eren often remembered the times when they were happily dreaming of exploring the world. Now, they were only distant memories, but he could never forget them. How long has it been now? Ten years? Ten bitter years, spent away from the one who had always given him hope and a reason. He was sure he would never see Armin again, until the phone ringed.

 


	2. For so long I...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin comes back after ten years and now they have to solve the issues they couldn't when they were young.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was so emotional for me, I hope you feel it too. I'm sorry it came so late, but Eremin is good at any time, right?

            There was a knock on the door. Eren jumped; his heart also jumped. Jumped fast, high, from happiness, nervousism, from… But what was he expecting? The one behind the door was a stranger, why was he feeling like that? Eren hesitated, his fingers almost touching the door knob. He took a deep breath and opened the door. When he looked at the person standing there, he just couldn’t say a word. His bright blue eyes made him sail back to their past, when they were once together.

            Eren loved staying by Armin’s side, even if they didn’t say a word to each other, just being in his room while doing nothing was good. He liked observing him while he read something. Armin often asked Eren if he didn’t get bored, but Eren always said it was good being there, never telling him the reason why he liked it. He remembered that, right after Armin turned fifteen, he started looking at him with different eyes. He still had that childhood innocence in his pale face and in his smile, but there was something there now, something that lured Eren in, that seduced him. It was around that time that Eren realized he was in love with his best friend. He never managed to tell him his feelings, he just kept watching Armin, trying to satisfy himself with only that so he wouldn’t ruin things between them. Eren regretted never voicing what he felt, he wished Armin knew the desire he had for him, his yearn, but it was all in the past, or at least it should be. Why was he feeling it all over again just by seeing the guy after ten years without him?

            The man stood by the door, waiting for Eren to invite him in, but he was way too stunned to even move a finger. Armin had a shorter hair and looked older, but somehow he still preserved that youthful look in his eyes and rosy cheeks. He seemed taller now and he wasn’t frail like before. Armin had grown into a man and Eren wasn’t there to watch it. He didn’t know anything about the person standing by his door and he hated it. Armin observed Eren and gave him a shy smile before greeting him. He invited him in and the two shared more of that awkward silence until Eren told him to sit on the couch and offered him a beverage. Armin told him he was fine and Eren just sat on the other couch. Another round of awkwardness came, but Eren decided he had to do something.

 

            “So, my mother called telling me you’d come.”

            “I didn’t know where you lived, so I went there. Your mother is still as lovely as ever. She gave me your address and I came. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

            “No, you’re not, of course not, Armin. It’s been so long since we last saw each other…”

            “Isn’t it?” Armin smiled and they fell on silence again. There was this tension, a tension so hard to break. Eren wondered why it was like this when once it was natural.

            “So, you’re back. How long are you staying?”

            “Well, I plan on living here again.”

           

            Eren felt a shock running through his body. So he was staying? Armin had left Germany when they were sixteen. His parents had just died and his grandfather, who was a science professor at a university in the United States, now his guardian, took him to America to live there. Armin’s grandfather was a strict man and wanted Armin to focus on his studies and didn’t allow the boy to communicate with his friends from his hometown because it would “spoil his studies”. Truth was that Armin had always been a very intelligent person and his grandfather wanted to pull out the most from him. At the age of twenty-four, Armin had already a Phd. He worked two years as a researcher in the same university his grandfather worked for and had won a few awards. Eren heard all of that, as Armin told him what his life in America was. Armin had told him before he left that his grandfather didn’t want him to communicate with Eren and they planned to do it somehow, but it didn’t work. Eren waited for Armin’s promised letter for months until he realized it wouldn’t arrive. It was all over, they would never be together anymore. He believed that until he received the phone call earlier that day, when his mother said Armin was back in Germany and wanted to see him. He still couldn’t believe all of that was happening. Armin was there, in front of him, telling him he was coming back to Germany, but why now? Why did he want to come back when he had a life back in America?

 

            “Hey, Armin. Is there any reason why you’re coming back?”

            Armin thought for a little. “My grandfather died three months ago.” He had a sad expression on his face. Eren thought of saying something, but Armin continued. “I had no one but him there, I had no reason to stay in America once he had died. Of course, I had a good job, I had my researches, I was successful in my career, but I missed this place. I have always longed to come back, I never really liked the States, but I felt like I owned it to grandpa.” He looked at Eren . “Do you think it’s bad that I came back?”

            “No, of course not. I’m glad to see you here again, I just wanted to understand why didn’t you…” _Why didn’t you look for me sooner, why after so long._

            “What were you going to say?”

            “Never mind.”

 

            They let it die out. Eren didn’t have the courage to touch the subject and he wondered if Armin had wanted to say something, but also couldn’t.

 

            “And Mikasa, how is she? I heard she is making her way to the olympic games, right?” Armin asked, trying to make things light again. Mikasa was Eren’s adopted sister. She was black belt in judo who was now at the national team.

            “Yeah. She’s fine. I haven’t seen her lately, but we often call each other. She’s really busy.”

            “She has always been amazing… I miss her.”

           

            They talked a little bit more. Eren told Armin about his life now, talked about their childhood stories, their teenage years when they weren’t together anymore, but Eren never told him about how much he missed him, how he thought of Armin even until now, how much he had longed to find him, call him, but never had the courage to, he didn’t think he had the right to after all those years. If only he could come back to tell Armin how he felt… When they realized, it was already late and Armin told Eren he had to go. They exchanged numbers and promised they would meet each other. Armin was staying at a hotel and was going to look for a place to live the next day, so he had to go. Eren watched his back as he was reaching the elevator and called his name. Armin turned back, wondering what Eren had to say, his heart started racing.

 

            “You know, I never got to give you my reply.”

 

            Eren didn’t know why he decided he would say that or where did he get the courage to from, but he was going to say; he had to say. As Armin was leaving, he felt like he would never see him again, just like happened on that day. He wouldn’t let Armin leave, not again. The man looked at him, his eyes widened. None of them had touched the subject, they didn’t have the guts to, and Eren knew that the tension between the two was not only because they hadn’t seen each other in years, but because of the matters left unsettled. _Me too._ Eren said looking straight at Armin’s face, and he came running towards him. This is how it should have been, but their fate was to separate, after all. Armin was crying as he said goodbye to the Yeagers and his grandfather was already rushing him because they were late for their flight. He hugged Eren for as long as he could, burying his face on the other’s neck, taking in his smell, his warmth, hoping he wouldn’t forget. Before they broke their embrace, Armin whispered in Eren’s ear the words he held dear in his heart forever. _I love you._ He looked briefly into Eren’s eyes and left. Eren didn’t say a word, he just watched the boy leave. Now he had to make-up for the past, he had to say it as many times as he could, he needed to let him know he loved him too.

            Armin threw his arms around Eren’s neck and their lips crashed. It was a desperate kiss, a kiss they had been waiting for over ten years. Eren brought Armin inside again and closed the door, never letting go of him. He wanted to feel everything; his hands grabbing his hair, his face, his neck, the way their tongs rolled furiously, but in sync, how close they were, so close there wasn’t any space between them. They were finally together after so long, they didn’t want it to end, but they had to break the kiss so they could catch their breaths. Eren leaned his forehead on Armin’s and looked deeply into his eyes; his hands touched his face dearly and he saw a tear was coming down those blue eyes. He heard Armin say something, but the sound practically didn’t come out. He thought he said “I’m sorry.”

 

            “Hey, Armin.” Eren started.

            “Uhn?”

            “Promise you’ll stay, promise you won’t leave again.” Armin closed his eyes and touched Eren’s face, then opened his eyes again. Eren waited anxious for the answer. He needed that, he needed to know if that was true.

            “I promise.”

 

            Eren kissed Armin again, now a calmer kiss, but still passionate. They just wanted to know each other again, to catch up on those ten years apart. They would never let go now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anyone noticed how I like writing first kisses and the start of a relationship? Because, yeah, I do.


End file.
